Drawer slide mechanism



March 1954 R. E. MCCLELLAN DRAWER SLIDE MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Shaat l Filed Nov. 15

INVENTOR. RALPH E. MBFLLLLAN.

March 10, 1964 R. E. M CLELLAN DRAWER SLIDE MECHANISM Filed Nov} 15, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. RALPH E. M a ELELLAN.

ATTY'.

March 10, 1964 R. MCCLELLAN DRAWER SLIDE MECHANISM Filed No v. 15, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

RALPH E. M E'E'LELLAN.

e 3,124,401 Ice Patented Mar. 10, 1964 This invention relates to improvements in a drawer slide mechanism. More particularly, it deals with such a mechanism in which the drawer is completely extended outside of its pocket or cabinet so unobstructed access to the rear of the drawer may readily be bad. This invention is especially adapted for drawers for insulated filing cabinets wherein the thickness of the drawer front due to the insulation necessitates even further extension of the drawer for access to its rear than has previously been required in similar prior art filing cabinets.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to produce a new, eliicient, effective, simple, quiet, easily operating and fully extensible drawer slide mechanism for extending the rear of a drawer in front of the front end of its pocket or cabinet in spite of a thick and insulated drawer front on the drawer.

Another object is to produce such a drawer slide mechanism in which the drawer slide cradle progressively moves with the drawer uniformly throughout the full length of the movement of the drawer from completely inside to completely outside of its pocket or cabinet.

Another object is to provide a new, simple, effective, shock resistant pivoted pawl stop for a sliding drawer mechanism which stop takes all impact from its pivot.

Another object is to provide an improved drawer slide rail and cabinet slide track having reinforcing anchoring and stiffening flanges to retain the drawer slide cradle rollers and glides and to resist twisting due to the changing positions of the weighted drawer supported thereon.

Another object is to provide substantially frictionless, plastic rollers for supporting and guiding the drawer slide cradle on and in its track, which rollers are quiet, non-lubricating, smooth, economical to manufacture, and reduce track wear in that their edges do not cut into the track.

Another object is to provide a positive and changeable driving means for a plurality of slide cradle rollers to insure uniform extension of the drawer beyond its normal length so as to permit the drawer body to be extended completely outside of its pocket or cabinet.

Still another object is to provide such a drawer slide mechanism which is compact, provides a maximum inside drawer dimension, and is adaptable to standard cabinets without changing the structure of said cabinets.

Generally speaking, the drawer slide mechanism of this invention comprises a pocket or cabinet into and out of which a drawer slides and a slide cradle for the drawer operating between rails on the side of the drawer and tracks in the pocket or cabinet.

The tracks in the cabinet comprise a pair of reinforced C-shaped guide channels of improved cross-sectional configuration to resist twist. A pivoted pawl stop may be mounted on these channels for limiting the outer movement of the cradle. This pawl stop is pivoted so that the slide cradle may be removed from the cabinet or channel track, and the pawl operates in and abuts against an edge of a slot in the channel so that the channel receives the full shock of the stop instead of the pawl pivot.

The drawer may be provided with a relatively thick insulated front closure portion mounted on the front end of the drawer pan and along opposite lower sides of the drawer pan may be welded or otherwise attached reinforced rail channels which are anchored by flanges extending under the drawer pan and having outwardly projecting double thickness rails for supporting the drawer slide on rollers mounted on the slide cradle.

These rail channels also may be provided with knockedout lugs or flange tab stops for cooperation with stops mounted on the slide cradle.

The slide cradle may comprise a pair of parallel C- shaped channel strips which may be connected together by one or more spanners at least one of which is wide enough to reinforce and stififen the cradle around a central notched-out portion thereof in which the geared extra length extending guiding rollers for the drawer are mounted. Each channel strip is not only provided with rollers at two of its opposite corners, namely the front lower and rear upper, and two upper and lower central rollers which cooperate with the upper and lower tracks in the slide channels in the cabinet, but also with an additional central lower roller mounted with the other central lower roller as a pair on a lever so that at least one roller of said pair engages the bottom track at all times. This lever carrying said pair of rollers is pivoted and guided in the central notched-out portion of each cradle strip and the pair of rollers thereon are geared together so that as long as one is in contact with its track the other is rotated therewith. The spacing between these two rollers depends upon the additional extension of the drawer required. All the rollers are preferably molded of a plastic material, such as a powdered metal, or a thermasetting or thermoplastic resinous material such as nylon or Delrin, and may have molded integral therewith frictionless ball bearings and their races, and the pair of rollers on said lever also may have gear teeth molded integral therein.

Glides, such as frictionless plastic buttons, may be provided between the cradle strips and track channels to insure their relative parallel movement.

The above mentioned and other features and objects of this invention and the manner of attaining them will become more apparent and the invention itself will be understood best by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of an insulated filing cabinet with parts broken away and the top drawer thereof fully extended beyond the face of the cabinet on a drawer slide mechanism according to one embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line IIII of FIG. 1 showing the cabinet side channels, drawer slide cradle and drawer pan in section;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line IIIIII of FIG. 2 with parts broken away, showing the one strip of the slide cradle and its cooperating drawer rail and cabinet track;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of FIG. 3 showing parts of the drawer, cabinet and slide cradle broken away;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged side elevational view of the pivoted pawl stop shown in FIG. 3 with parts of the drawer slide cradle and channel track broken away, and in dotted lines the pawl in its upward position for removal of the slide cradle from the cabinet or channel tracks in the cabinet; 1

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line VIVI of FIGS. 3 or 5, showing the pivot for the pawl stop;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged plan view of the drawer and slide cradle abutting stops shown in dotted lines in FIG. 4, with parts of the drawer and slide cradle broken away;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the lever and its supporting geared rollers shown in the central portion of the slide cradle of FIG. 3, with parts broken away to show the cooperation of the rollers and the gears when the drawer slide and drawer pan are fully extended outside of the cabinet as shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 9 is a horizontal sectional view taken along line 3 IX-IX of FIG. 8 showing the lever with its rollers and their gearing;

FIG. 10 is a vertical sectional view similar to one taken along line XX of FIG. 8 showing a roller and gear construction, and the clamping engagement of the rollers on the drawer rail, but also showing the cross-section of a modified form of the cabinet channel track; and

FIG. 11 is another embodiment of a gearing mechanism for the pair of rollers on the lever shown in the central part of FIG. 3 or on an enlarged scale in FIG. 8, with the same parts being broken away as in FIG. 8.

(I) CABINET For the purpose of illustration the drawer slide mechanism of this invention will be described in combination with the top drawer of an insulated filing cabinet 20 partially shown in FIG. 1 having a drawer cavity or pocket 21, insulated top and side walls 22, at least a partially insulated partition 23 at the bottom of the drawer cavity 21 which also may act as a support for the pair of parallel drawer channel tracks 30, and inner shell and rib structure 24. These channel tracks 3% have a general C-shaped cross-section with upper and lower flanges 31 and 32, respectively, the lower of which may extend farther outwardly from the inner side walls of the cavity 21 than the upper as shown in FIGS. 2 and 10. This channel 30 may be spot welded to the shell structure 24 and rest upon the partition member 23 as well as being supported at its rearward end on a rib 25, extending inwardly of the cavity 21 from its rear Wall 26. Mounted near the front or open end 27 of the cavity 21 there may be provided plastic buttons, rivets or glides 35 (see FIGS. 2 and 4) for guiding the slide cradle 70 (to be described later) in the channel tracks 30.

In FIG. 10 a modified form of the channel rail 30 is disclosed which not only has the two flanges 31 and 32 but an additional integral inwardly extending reinforcing ribbed flange 33 from the edge of track flange 32 to further stilren and prevent it from twisting. Also a less sharply rounded corner 34 may be provided opposite this flange extension 33 for the same reinforcing purpose.

Mounted in a cut-out slot 35 in the top flange 31 of one or both drawer channel tracks 30, there may be provided a pivoted stop pawl 40, more specifically disclosed in FIGS. 3, 4, and 6. This pawl 40 is pivoted to the side of the channel track 30 by means of a stub shaft or pivot 41 around which its stop pawl end 42 may rock into and out of the-slot 36, from the dotted line position 49" shown in FIG. 5 out of the path of the flanged stop 75 spot welded or otherwise attached to the side channel 71 of the drawer slide cradle 719 described below. The stop edge of the pawl end 42 may be slanted to positively engage the flanged edge of the stop 75. The pivot hearing at the opposite end of the pawl 44) comprises an elongated slot 43 to insure that the opposite edge 44 (see FIG. 5) of the pawl end 42 engages the edge 38 of the slot 36 before the pivot 41 engages the end of its bearing slot 43. Thus the channel track flange 31 takes all of the thrust and impact of the contact with the stop 75 and the pivot 41 and the stop pawl bearing 43 are never strained or weakened.

(II) THE DRAWER The drawer 50 (see FIGS. 1, 2 and is shown herein to be provided with a handled insulated front or closure portion 51 corresponding in thickness to the insulated wall 22 of the cabinet and a drawer pan 52 having a central groove 52 and side walls 53 along the lower corners of which are attached slide rails 55 having double thickness outwardly extending roller engaging flanges 56 and oppositely extending lower flange 57 projecting under and supporting the bottom of the drawer pan 52. These slide rails 55 preferably are spot welded at 58 to the bottom of the pan 52 as well as spot welded at 59 to the sides 53 of the pan 52. A downwardly project-ing abutment stop or lug 460 may be bent from the flange 57 of each rail 55 near its outer end for limiting the outward movement of the drawer 50 with respect to the drawer slide cradle 70 described below.

(III) DRAWER SLIDE CRADLE (A) Cradle Structure The drawer slide cradle 70 slides between the drawer 50 and the channel track 30 in the cabinet 24} and moves uniformly at one half the speed and one half the distance of the drawer relative to the tracks 30, which is effected by the rail flange 56 rolling on the top of the lower rollers 81, 87 and 97 mounted in the slide cradle 70, the bottoms of which rollers roll on the flange 32 of track 30. This cradle 70 comprises a pair of parallel channel strips 71 (see FIG. 2) having C-shaped cross-sections with their open sides facing each other and fitting inside the similarly shaped channel tracks 34 These strips 71 are connected together across their lower edges and under the drawer by at least one wide central spanner member 72 Which may be corrugated or grooved at its edges 73 for reinforcing purposes and may be bowed down in its center to fit around under the bottom central channel 52' of the pan 52 of the drawer 54).

Spot welded or otherwise attached or integral with the spanner 72 there are provided projecting up from the front edge of this spanner 72 a pair of U-shaped lugs or stops 74 (see FIGS. 3, 4 and 7) for abutment with the push down lug stops 60 on the drawer rail flanges 57, which stops 60 and 74 together prevent the drawer 50 from moving out farther than its normally intended extension as shown in FIG. 1 and from out from between the two pair of vertically spaced rollers 97 and 117 in the center of the channel strips 71 which will be described later. However, if the drawer 50 is to be removed from the slide cradle 70 it only need have its outer end lifted up so that the stops 60 will clear the top of stops 74 and the drawer then may be pulled out from between the rollers 97 and 117 and removed from cabinet 20.

Also on the cradle 70 near the rear of each channel strip 7)1 there is provided the flanged stops 75 mentioned in second I above for cooperation with the pawl stops 40. By lifting the pawls 40 into their dotted line positions 40 as shown in FIG. 5, the stops 75 will be cleared for removing the cradle 70 from the cabinet 20.

If desired additional spanners such as 76 and 77 shown in FIG. 1 may be provided at the front and back of the pair of parallel strips 71 to further stiffen the slide cradle assembly 70.

At the rear of the strips 71 there may be provided a pair of plastic buttons or glides 78, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, in which may be similar to the plastic glides 35 described above connected to the channels 30, for further guiding and maintaining the alignment of the strips 71 and cradle 70 in the channel tracks 30.

(B) Roller Structure and Mountings At opposite corners of each of the strips 71 there are provided a lower fnont supporting roller 81 and an upper rear supporting roller 82 which roll respectively inside the track flanges 32 and 3-1 of the channel tracks 30 fixed in the cavity 21 in the cabinet 20. These rollers 81 and 82 are attached to the vertical web portions of the channel strips 7 1 by stub shafts 86 and 84. These rollers are preferably made of plastic material molded onto the outside of the frictionless ball bearings. The plastic may comprise a powdered metal, nylon, Delrin, a polyurathane or similar durable plastic, preferably also reinforced with fibers. The flanges in the channel strips 71 are notched out at their ends 85 and 86 to provide contact for the rollers 81 and 82 with the flange tracks 32 and 31, respectively.

In order to support the cradle 70 when it is in its extended position shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 there must also be supplied at the center of each strip 71 at least one V additional roller 87 so as to continue to permit easy outward sliding movement and support of the cradle 70 as soon as the'forward roller 81 rolls off the open outer end 32 of the track 32. This roller 87, however, is different than the rollers 81 and 82 in two respects. First it has molded thereon adjacent its side an integral gear 88 (see FIGS. 8, 9 and and second this roller 87 and its gear 88 are mounted on a stub shaft 89 on a lever 90 pivoted at fixed pivot 91 to the web of the strip 71 and extending in an elongated slot 92 cut out of the central lower side of the web of each strip 71, This lever 90 extends beyond the length of this slot 92, having two offset sections 93 and '94 which overlap the Web of strips 71 at the end-s of the slot 92 and provide portions respectively, for limiting and guiding the movement of the free end of the lever 90, and for the pivot 91. Thus the major portion 95 of the lever is substantially flush with the back and front surfaces of the web of the strip 71 and the edges of the lever 98 adjacent its offset portions overlap the extended lower flange portions 96 (see FIG. 8) of the strips 7 1, so as to guide and aid in preventing the lever 90 from twisting. Further in this regard there may be provided a guide member 97 Welded at 98 to the web of the strip 71 for overlapping the offset portion '93 of the lever and prevent it from lateral movement outside of its notch 92.

This lever 98 also has mounted on its major central portion 95 near the opposite end from the pivot 91 and roller 87, another roller '97 similar to roller 87 having also molded to one side thereof a gear 98 and pivoted on stub shaft 99. Between the gears 88 and 98 of these rollers 87 and '97 is mounted an enlarged intermeshing gear 10-8 on a stub shaft 109 also on lever 90, so that both of these rollers '87 and 9-7 always rotate at the same speed and in the same direction Whether or not both of said rollers 87 and 97 are on the track flange 32 or not. The pivots or stub shafts 89 and 99' for the rollers 87 and 97, respectively, are mounted substantially in the same plane parallel to the track 32 so that when the drawer is loaded md when both of these rollers 87 and 97 are inside the cabinet 20 they both contact the track 32 and support the slide cradle 70'.

The cut out portion 92 for the major portion '95 of the lever 98 reduces the space taken up by the gearing mechanism for the rollers 87 and 97 and any loss in strength caused by this cut out portion 92 is compensated by the wide spanner 72 welded to the lower edges of both strips 71 beyond the side of their cut out portions '92, as clearly shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

Referring now specifically to the roller shown in FIG. 10 the stub shaft 8'9, as all the other stub Shafts which mount the different rolle a employed on the cradle 70, has mounted thereon a ruler bearing 185 comprising inner race 186 and outer race 107 provided with an outwardly extending rib 1.18 over and around which the plastic roller 87 is molded, and in this case integral with gear 88. In the grooves between the races 1% and 107 there are located the balls 189 of the ball bearings, thus providing substantially frictionless free rolling movement for each of the rollers mounted on the slide cradle 70.

Across the top of the forward roller 8-1 and the tops of both rollers 97 and 87 rest the drawer 58 along its rail flange 56. In order to prevent the weight in the drawer 50 from tilting the drawer up around the fulcrum of the top of roller 81 when it is in any of its extended positions as shown in FIG. 1, there is attached near the center of the cradle strips 71 vertically above the roller 97 an additional fixed roller 117 mounted on a stub shaft 118 in the web of strip 71, the bottom of which roller 117 rid-es along the top of the flanges 56 of side rails 55 on the drawer 58, and thereby maintains the drawer 58 in horizontal position throughout its length of travel.

Once the roller 97 rolls off the forward edge 32' of the track 32 as shown in FIG. 8, all of the weight of the drawer is supported on the roller 87 which causes a moment of the lever 90 around its pivot 91 to raise the outer end of the lever carrying the roller 97 to clamp upwardly against the under side of the flange rail 56 on the drawer 50 and press it against the fixed roller 117. Thus the weight of the drawer operates a secondary lever "90 so that the continued rolling engagement of the roller 87 with track 32 through gears 88, 188 and 98, positively and continuously drives the roller 97 causing the double thickness drawer flange rail 56 to be pinched against the roller 117 and move the back of the drawer 5'0 beyond the outside edge of the track 32' and outside the cabinet beyond the jamb 27 thereof as shown in FIG. 1. Thus the further the extension of the drawer 58 beyond the front face or jamb 27 of the cabinet 20 the greater the spacing required between the rollers 87 and 97 and the larger diameter of gear 188. Similarly if less extension is required, the gear 188 may be decreased in diameter. The lever 90- shows an upstanding portion in FIGS. 3 and 8 for accommodating the pivot 189 of different sized gears 188 which may fit between the flanged edges of the strips 71.

In FIG. 11 there is disclosed another embodiment of the driving mechanism for the track and rail engaging and driving means mounted on lever 98', similar to lever 90. Herein the geared rollers 87 and 97 and gear 188 are replaced by two toothed notched wheels 121 and 122 which are driven together by an inwardly toothed belt 123, the outer surface of which belt engages the track 32 and flange rail 56. Thus the wheel 122 and belt 123 are positively driven by the wheel 121 and wheel 122 through belt 123 in turn pinches the lower side of the rail 56 to push it up against the roller 117 to insure uniform and positive extension of the drawer 50 beyond the end 32 of the track 32. If more or less extension is required, a corresponding greater or lesser spacing between the wheels 121 and 122 are required and correspondingly a longer or shorter belt 123. Otherwise the operation for the extension of the modified embodiment shown in FIG. 11 is identical with that disclosed and described in connection with FIGS. 8, 9 and 10.

Thus the drawer 58 is carried on the top of the lower rollers 81, 97 and 87 and is prevented from tilting out of the cabinet by the roller 117 on the slide cradle 78. The roller 82 on the upper rear end of the channel 71 of the slide cradle 78 prevents the top of the cradle from rubbing against the top of the channel track 31 when the drawer is extended as shown in FIG. 1 and the weight of the drawer 58 is fulcrumed around the roller 87 and maintained in a horizontal position by upward pressure of the roller 81 against the rail 56 and the downward pressure of the roller 117 against the rail 56. Accordingly a smooth, uniform travel of a heavy thick front 51 file drawer 50 may be eifected from its completely closed position to its completely extended position beyond the front face of the cabinet 28 so the full length of the drawer 58 may be used without difficulty or without changing the uniform motion of the slide cradle 70 or releasing any of the stops.

While there is described above the principles of this invention in connection with specific apparatus, it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation to the scope of this invention. i

What is claimed is:

l. A drawer slide mechanism comprising:

(1) an enclosure having a pocket with spaced parallel inner side walls extending therealong between which a drawer may slide,

(A) a pair of parallel channel tracks having 0- shaped cross sections attached to said side walls with their open sides facing each other,

(1) a pivoted stop pawl mounted on at least one of said tracks,

(2) a notch in said track for said pawl,

(3) an elongated bearing in said pawl for its pivot, said bearing being longer than the clearance between said pawl and one side of said notch whereby engagement of said pawl against its stop engages said pawl against the edge of said notch instead of said pivot and bearing,

(II) a drawer movable between said side walls parallel to said tracks from a position completely within said pocket to a position Completely outside of said pocket, I v

(A) a pair of double faced rails on opposite sides of said drawer movable parallel to and projecting between the flanged edges of said tracks,

(B) a stop projecting from said drawer,

(III) a slide cradle between said drawer and said chamber comprising:

(A) a pair of parallel strips movable in said track between said tracks and said rails,

(B) spanner means for connecting said strips together around one side of said drawer,

(C) separate stop means on said cradle for abutment with said stop on said drawer and said pivoted pawl stop on said track, and

(D) plastic rollers mounted on said strip for rolling engagement between said tracks and said rails for supporting said drawer and cradle and for movement of said cradle at half the speed and distance of said drawer.

2. A drawer slide mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said spanner means for connecting said side strips together comprises a wide central member extending beneath said drawer.

3. A drawer slide mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said spanner means comprises a plurality of spanner strips at least one of which is connected between adjacent ends of said strips.

4. A drawer slide mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said stop on said drawer projects from said rails connected to said drawer.

5. A drawer slide mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said rails on said drawer have oppositely extending flanges, one being double thickness for supporting said drawer on said rollers and the other extending beneath the bottom of said drawer, and means for attaching said rails both along the sides and bottom of said drawer.

6. A drawer slide mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said channel tracks include ribbed extension flanges along their lower edges for preventing twist due to stresses of the weight of said cradle, and drawer rolling therealong.

7. A drawer slide mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said cradle includes means for extending said drawer uniformly with themovement of said cradle beyond the opening of said pocket.

8. A drawer slide mechanism according to claim 7 wherein said extending means comprises on each said cradle strip a pair of geared rollers at least one of which is always in contact with its corresponding channel track and at least the other of said pair of rollers is always in contact with its corresponding said drawer rail.

9. A drawer slide mechanism according to claim 8 wherein said two geared rollers are driven by an intermediate gear.

10. A drawer slide mechanism according to claim 8 wherein said geared rollers are mounted on a pivoted lever.

11. A drawer slide mechanism according to claim 10 wherein said lever is flush with the web of said strip.

12. A drawer slide mechanism according to claim 10 wherein said strips include means and flanges for guiding and restricting the movement of said lever.

13. A drawer slide mechanism according to claim 8 wherein said cradle strips include an additional central roller opposite said other geared roller for engaging the other side of said rail flange on said drawer.

14. A drawer slide mechanism according to claim 13 wherein said rollers are composed of molded plastic with ball bearing inserts mounted on stub shafts connected with said cradle strips.

15. A drawer slide mechanism comprising:

(I) a cabinet having an opening and side walls extending therefrom between which side walls a drawer may slide,

.(A) a pair of parallel channel tracks having facing open C-shaped cross-sections attached to said side Walls and a first stop mounted on one of said tracks,

(II) a drawer movable between said side walls parallel to said track through said opening from a position completely within said cabinet to a position completely outside said cabinet,

(A) a pair of double faced rails on opposite sides of said drawer moving parallel and projecting between the flanged edges of said tracks,

(B) a second stop projecting from said drawer,

(III) a slide cradle between said drawer and said cabinet comprising:

(A) a pair of parallel side strips having flange portions along their lower edges and being movable in said track between said track and said rails,

(B) means for connecting said side strips together around one side of said drawer,

(C) separate stop means on said cradle for abutment with said second stop on said drawer and said first stop on said track,

(D) rollers at opposite ends of each of said strips for engagement with both faces of said rails and the inside of the flanges of said tracks for moving said drawer in and out of said chamber at twice the speed and distance that said cradle moves along said tracks,

(E) a cut-out portion and flange portion in the central portion of each of said strips, said flange portions including extensions near the ends of said cut-out portions,

(F) a pivoted lever mounted in said cut-out portions of each of said strips,

(G) three additional rollers located at the center of each of said strips, at least two of said additional rollers being mounted on said lever for supporting said cradle,

(H) means for gearing said pair of additional rollers together, and

(1) means at each end of said lever cooperating with said extensions in said cut-out flange portions for grinding and limiting the movement of said lever and for preventing the twisting of said lever transversely of the pivot of said lever.

16. A drawer slide mechanism comprising:

(I) an enclosure having a pocket with spaced parallel inner side walls extending therealong between which a drawer may slide,

(A) a pair of parallelchannel tracks having 0- shaped cross sections attached to said side walls with their open sides facing each other,

(1) a pivoted stop pawl mounted on at least one of said tracks,

(2) a notch in said track for said pawl.

(3) an elongated bearing in said pawl for its pivot, said bearing being longer than the clearance between said pawl and one side of said notch whereby engagement of said pawl against its stop engages said pawl against the edge of said notch instead of said pivot and bearing.

(II) a drawer movable between said side walls parallel to said tracks from a position completely within said pocket to a position completely outside of said pocket,

(A) a pair of double faced rails on opposite sides of said drawer movable parallel to and projecting between the flanged edges of said tracks,

(B) a stop projecting from said drawer,

(III) a slide cradle between said drawer and said chamber comprising:

(A) a pair of parallel strips movable in said track between said tracks and said rails,

(B) spanner means for connecting said strips together around one side of said drawer,

(C) separate stop means on said cradle for abutment with said stop on said drawer and said pivoted pawl stop on said track,

(D) plastic rollers mounted on said strip for rolling engagement between said tracks and said rails for supporting said drawer and cradle and for movement of said cradle at half the speed and distance of said drawer, and

(E) means for extending said drawer uniformly with the movement of said cradle beyond the opening of said pocket, said means comprising (1) a pair of spaced toothed wheels driven in unison by a toothed belt, said belt around at least one of said wheels and belt always being in contact with its corresponding channel track and said belt around at least the other of said wheels always being in contact with its corresponding drawer rail.

17. A drawer slide mechanism comprising:

(I) an enclosure having a pocket with spaced parallel integral side Walls extending therealong between which a drawer may slide,

(A) a pair of parallel channel tracks attached to the side walls,

(1) a pivoted stop pawl mounted on at least one of said tracks,

(2) a notch in the track for said pawl, and

(3) an elongated bearing in said pawl for its pivot, said bearing being longer than the clearance between said pawl and one side of said notch whereby engagement of said pawl against its stop engages the pawl against the edge of said notch instead of said pivot and bearing, and (II) a drawer movable between said side walls parallel to said tracks from a position within said pocket to a position outside said pocket,

(A) a pair of rails on opposite sides of said drawer movable parallel to said tracks, and (B) a stop means connected with said drawer for abutment with said pivoted pawl stop on said track. 18. A slide mechanism comprising: (1) two adjacent parallel members movable longitudinally relative to each other, (2) a pivoted stop pawl mounted on one of said members, (3) a notch in said one member adjacent said pawl, (4) stop means on the other of said members for abutment with said pivoted pawl, and (5) an elongated bearing in said pawl for its pivot, said bearing being longer than the clearance between said pawl and one side of said notch whereby engagement of said pawl against its stop engages said pawl against the edge of said notch instead of the pivot and bearing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,068,375 Watson et al. July 22, 1913 2,174,181 Rand Sept. 26, 1929 2,655,422 Gussack Oct. 13, 1953 2,981,584 Friend Apr. 25, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 801,255 Great Britain Sept. 10, 1958 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 124,401 4 March 10, 1964 Ralph E. McClellan It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent' reqiiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

In the grant, lines 1 to 3, for "Ralph E. McClellan, of Toledo, Ohio" read Ralph E. McClellan, of Toledo, Ohio, assignor to The Mei link Steel Safe Company, of Toledo Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio, line 12, .for ,"Ralph E. McClellan, his heirs" read The Meilink Steel Safe Company, its successors in the heading to the printed specification, line 3,

v for Ralph E. McClellan, 2011 Fernwood, Toledo 6, Ohio" read w Ralph E. McClellan, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to The Meilink Steel Safe Company, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Signed and sealed this 4th day of August 1964.,

(SEAL) Attest:

i Q ERNEST w, SWIDER' EDWARD-J. BRENNER Attosting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. A DRAWER SLIDE MECHANISM COMPRISING: (I) AN ENCLOSURE HAVING A POCKET WITH SPACED PARALLEL INNER SIDE WALLS EXTENDING THEREALONG BETWEEN WHICH A DRAWER MAY SLIDE, (A) A PAIR OF PARALLEL CHANNEL TRACKS HAVING CSHAPED CROSS SECTIONS ATTACHED TO SAID SIDE WALLS WITH THEIR OPEN SIDES FACING EACH OTHER, (1) A PIVOTED STOP PAWL MOUNTED ON AT LEAST ONE OF SAID TRACKS, (2) A NOTCH IN SAID TRACK FOR SAID PAWL, (3) AN ELONGATED BEARING IN SAID PAWL FOR ITS PIVOT, SAID BEARING BEING LONGER THAN THE CLEARANCE BETWEEN SAID PAWL AND ONE SIDE OF SAID NOTCH WHEREBY ENGAGEMENT OF SAID PAWL AGAINST ITS STOP ENGAGES SAID PAWL AGAINST THE EDGE OF SAID NOTCH INSTEAD OF SAID PIVOT AND BEARING, 